The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, June 07, 1979, Page Page 11, Image 11
Injuries plague USC
Bid elude
Although a late season batting slump c<
qualifying for a National Collegiate Athl?
respectable 32-15 record and set a numbe
The biggest assault on the record boo!
whelming choice of his teammates as r
thander from Columbia established schi
and lowest earned run average, 0.76. He
record.
Twitty was also named the Gamecock
Outfielder Wes Westbrook established
*7 nrocinrt tVin nr*o?*lr r\f nirtUf o/\f J
# , vi U01115 uiv 11?ct? rv yjk V151U aci cai net J
However, Boatwrights 12 total bases (2
replaces 11 total bases compiled by Steve
Westbrook also set a record when he s
held by many players. Boatwright tied a
11.
Outfielder Paul Hollins coaxed 38 bast
u/alkc Hrawn hv Clrf*o ir? 1Q7R
It took four decimal places to determir
shortstops. Jonson made only eight erro
136 chances at the position in 1976 for a .9
As a team, the Gamecocks' .968 fieldin
1975 team. That mark was the nation's s
in A1 it a ?"V-% Ar\rvf\rl OT f Kin A*?lr A
in * i gainuo tuppuu uy l( uic iiiai in. ui uiv
Second baseman Etienne Farquharsoi
the team in batting with a .331 average,
from Nassau, Bahamas, he is expected t
Knee and back injuries hampered Joh
batting average and led the squad in h
named to the Coaches' All-American tea
Marquardt's career .669 slugging perce
first baseman Hank Small.
More tnan 71,000 tans turned out tor a
the season. Official figures from the Ca
I The enlarged stands, completed after th<
The largest home crowd was an overfl
game March 25. The smallest ? one of
the second home game of the season, Ma
" ? -v^B
[ 1 ' r ''. Tv ' '. '" '-! v :" .'^3^^' .-^ "~ -::';,7'
wk ''^tdS$?&
I II?II III
:s baseball
urnpiicaieu uy a rasn 01 injuries to Key per
etic Association baseball playoff bid, the (
r of new school records.
ks came from relief pitcher Jeff "Bird"
nost valuable player on the 1979 Gameo
ool marks for most game appearances b
allowed only four earned runs in 47 2 / 3 i
player of the year earlier in the season,
a record when he batted in nine runs agaii
in the season bv outfielder Mark Boatwri
home runs and 2 doubles) against the Ye
* King against Appalachian State in 1976.
cored five runs against Georgia Southern
mark when he was twice hit by a pitch ag
is on balls from opposing pitchers in 44 ga
le that Greg Jonson had broken Jeff Gram
rs in 279 chances for a .9713 percentage. (
/ud percentage.
g percentage was the second best ever, su
econd best that year. The 637 assists turn<
set by the 1977 team in 56 games.
n, who missed the final six games of the s<
in stolen bases with 36, hits with 57 and ru
o be back for his senior year.
in MarnnarHt thmiiffhnut hie cpninr voar
... ...v.. M""- "" ??6"V??V J ?
ome runs with 10 and runs batted in witl
m, the Alamogordo, N.M., native hit .3811
ntage bettered the .626 record establishe
13 home games in USC's recently enlarge
irolina ticket office place attendance at ?
e season began, can accommodate 4,000 fa
ow 5,000 that turned out despite cold weat
only five games to attract fewer than l,0(
irch 1 against UNC-Wilmington.
. I
team g
sonnel kept Carolina from |J||
jamecocks finished with a pig
Twitty, who was the overock
squad. The senior lef- Bp
y a pitcher, 28; saves, 10; S|||
innines and coniDiled a 6-2 tell
nst Georgia Southern April Sgi
ght against Georgia Tech. ||||
?llnu/ .la^kptc nn Marnh 9P Elis
V ^ MV"V^ VII
. The old mark of four was ||8
[ainst North Carolina April fl||
imes, -two more than the 36 IIB
tz's 1976 fielding record for
jrantz made four errors in ffjj
irpassed only by .975 by the 5 ;J
i i i /^i _ r _ii
;a in uy uamecocK neiaers
eason with a leg injury, led
ins scored with 37. A junior
but he still managed a .301
h 38. In 1978, when he was
with 16 homers and 61 RBI.
td by former All-American
id baseball stadium during
in average 01 zibb a game.
ins on aluminum seats.
her for the second Clemson '
30 spectators ? was 500 for '
bit
See Baseball, page 13 Th
Ijl vri
It has not beer
the National Lea
been a ray of ho;
first baseman D
winner.
Through the f
sensational. His
his batting aver
has not comeea:
A year ago, yc
was barely mo
manager Bobby
Murphy said he;
"Your first ft
power hitter sail
had so much cor
a guy like him e)
Cox was not a
he was selected
and coming sup<
predictions
But playing u
and Murohv. lik
I z>?'
to the quality of
"In AAA ball,
prospect," he sa
the big leagues,
learn a lot."
Besides learn
nhow to play a ri
Ore Murph"!
and the presenc
on the field to pu
Mw'an&p nf hi'
iBttnKSBI adjusted to the
current season,
sa|d he doesn't
positions.
Despite the great performance of /
bove) the USC Gamecock baseball
1 to the NCAA playoffs for the se
te team, however, did win 35 ba/lga
ing u ale i>
ives' newt
By Brett L. Frtodtander
Sports Editor
i a good season for the Atlanta Braves. T
icnio anH h.n;o 1 nct covoral Irov nlavarc tr\
IJijUV M1IV* 1IU V/ IVfOl UV V VI M* I?VJ piujr VI kj vv
pe in the light of such a dismal campaigr
tale Murphy has made him an instant st
irst month and a half of the 1979 seast
13 home runs and 37 runs batted in led tl
age, .347, has been among the leaders sir
'i 1 \; f r\r* f hn ^ ^ on f i Kocnmon
3iij iui uit U J v^aiLiiti ni 01 uuouiiiaii.
iung Dale led the major leagues in strike<
re than his weight. Instead of moving
Cox stayed with the youngster and kept
sees this as a major reason for his produc
ill year in the majors is definitely a le<
d. "I think I learned a lot. but I did take s
ifidence in me and has given me a chance
chibit so much confidence in myself."
lone in his confidence that Murphy could
first in the 1974 free agent draft by Atlant
irstar. His performance in the minor leaf
i the minors and making it in the big lea|
e many other younsters just coming up, 1
nlnv in tho MI
" ",v
every once in a while you'll face a guy w
lid. "Because of that, its definitely easier
and there are some darn good pitchers
ing how to hit major league pitching. M
;w position defensively. Ever since he w<
has been a catcher. However, problems \
_ _ C ^,..1 a _i r-fc ^ _ a a
t* oi regular caicner mil rocorooa sent i
it him and his booming bat.
s height, first base seemed like a nature
move quickly When Pocoroba was inj
Murphy was moved back behind the plal
see any problems in splitting his pic
w' ' * '
\
,- ^?a x.-" ^ "J*:V-rv-,v- ?r-r'^ T^^'i.j,;- .J #
elief pitcher Jeff Twitty
team failed to receive a
tcond consecutive year,
imes.
lurphy
;st star
Kin?f Uoirn tKn irt
I1UJ lia LI It WV/i OL 1 cvui U 111
injuries. However, there has
i. The play of young catcherar
in a city so starved for a
>n, Murphy's play has been
le National League, NL, and
ice opening day. But success
nits, and his batting average
him to the bench, Braves
him in the lineup every day
tive start this season.
i r?ninrl n fall
:ia inu^ t iuiivc, i.iiv iaii
ome hard knocks Bobby has
; to play. I'm grateful to have
get the job done. Ever since
a he has been touted as an up
*ues did nothing to hurt those
rf 1 I AO n tiifA /~l ? C C t U t r\ rt e*
l^uto die; IWU UIHt'I ITill llllllgd
lad some difficulty adjusting
/ho isn't an A i major league
to hit down there. Hut this is
i. It's tough and you have to
lurphy has also had to learn
is in high scnool in Portland,
vith an erratic throwing arm
he Braves looking for a place
il olace to nl;w and Murnhv
jured before 'he siart of the
te Never one 10 complain, he
lying time between the two
6ee Murphy, page 13